Method and means for renewing web rolls in printing machines



June 10, 1941. w. c. WIEKING METHOD AND MEANS FOR RENEWING WEB ROLLS IN PRINTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 11, 1938 INVENTOR VV/Y/iG/Ii C W/ek/ry Patented June 10, 1941 ME'rnop AND MEANS ron nnmzwmc wen norms in rmm'me moms William 0. Wieking, Woodhaven, N. Y., aasignor to B. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 11, 1938, Serial No. 234,380 Claims. (01. 242-58) In the operation of high speed web printing machines, and especially in multicolor printing, it is often essential to employ drying apparatus to thoroughly dry the ink after each impression in order to avoid smearing or smu-tting of the printed material. In magazine type printing presses, for example, where a calendered, relatively non-absorbent paper is frequently employed, the use of ink drying means is generally imperative for high speed printing. The apparatlls employed for drying the ink on webs, generally includes heating devices with or without air blast creating means.

In all web printing machines the paper is drawn from rolls which in time become exhausted and are replaced with full rolls, and high speed machines as now manufactured are frequently provided with equipment arranged to splice the web from an expiring web roll to the end of the web of a replacement roll, while the machine is running at full speed.

In preparing for splicing, it is customary to apply adhesive to the outer end of the web of the replacement roll and position the roll with such respect to the expiring roll that, when the latter is nearly exhausted, the web running therefrom may be pressed against the area on the replacement roll where the adhesive is applied, thus effecting the splice, after which the web from the expiring roll is severed.

An adhesive with a resin base which maintains its tackiness over relatively long periods has been used for many years as a splicing medium, but with the advent of high temperature heaters in connection with web ink drying devices, it has been found that a web splice made with an adhesive of this nature becomes separated when passing through the heaters, due principally to the liquifying and absorption or volatilization of certain ingredients in the adhesive.

An adhesive having a latex base, while insuflicient to securely hold the ends'of a web splice together at normal operating temperatures, will become tacky when subjected to suiiicient heat, and will then satisfactorily hold joined webs together while passing through the printing machine.

The herein disclosed method ;of making web splices, employs two adhesives in combination, each having different characteristics under high and normal temperatures. These adhesives, for

the sake of brevity, will be hereafter referred to I for splicing webs under ordinary conditions wherein it is not subjected to excessive temperatures. This material will remain tacky for an hour or more after application, as is sometimes required during intervals when the press may be standing idle. Adhesives of this nature however, qualify and are absorbed by the paper and lose their adhesive qualities when subjected to the high temperatures produced by heaters employed in some of the ink drying equipment that has recently come into use.

Adhesive B indicates the latex type adhesive before mentioned, which is applied to the web roll in moist form, but it does not remain moist over long periods. It, however, has the quality of becoming tacky whensubjected to relatively .high temperatures and will effectively hold the webs together. This latex cement spreads easily, and while under ordinary conditions it dries quite rapidly, when it is subjected to the heat of the drying equipment it softens and becomes cured, effectively cementing the webs together.

The invention, which embraces the use of adhesives of two types in connection with web splicing, will best be understood by reference to the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a printing machine in the operation of which the invention may be employed;

Figure 2 represents a web roll prepared in accordance with the invention, and showing one manner in which the adhesives may be disposed; and

Figure 3 represents a web roll prepared in accordance with the invention, and showing another manner in which the adhesives may be disposed.

Referring to the drawing:

In Figure 2, the numeral l0 indicates a web roll, the outer web end I I of which has adhesives applied to it in accordance with the invention, and is prepared so that its web may quickly be spliced to the web of an expiring roll which is being fed to a machine in which ink drying equipment which subjects the web to relatively high temperatures is employed. The web end H is preferably cut or torn to the configuration shown, by removing portions adjacent to each of its side edges, leaving tapered edges i2 and I3, and by removing triangular sections at the spaces I, I5 and I6, leaving the web end with salient extensions. If the web splice is to be made while the machine is running at a relatively high speed, the comers of the extending portions of the web end are preferably fastened to the body portion of the roll by stickers IS, in order to secure the web end lightly, so that it can easily be torn loose. When the splice is to be made during a stoppage of the machine or at such low speed that there is no danger of the web end being loosened from the body of the roll during the time it is being accelerated to the speed of the running web, the stickers may be omitted and the corners may then be held down by grease or some relatively light adhesive.

Further preparation of the web end for splicing includes the placing of segregated patches of a slow drying adhesive A, that may be of the type having a resin base, preferably as indicated by light stippling at 2|, 22, 23 and 24; 2|, 22', 23' and 24', these patches preferably being arranged in pairs at either side of T-shaped patches 25 and 25" of an adhesive B, also arranged in spaced pairs on the web end and indicated by heavier stippling, the adhesive B pref- :erably having a latex base which becomes tacky and then is cured when subjected to a relatively high temperature.

Additional patches of adhesive A are similarly arranged in spaced pairs as indicated at 26 and 26', and additional patches of adhesive B as shown at 21 and 21'. In cases where the splice is to be made at high speed and a belt or other and 3|, while patches of adhesive A are located at 32, 32'; 33 and 33'. The stickers IQ for holding down the web end if used, are positioned substantially the same as shown in the form illustrated in Figure 2.

When heavy paper stock is used, the edges of which are not prone to curl during passage through the machine, the relative positions of the portions of adhesives A' and B as viewed in Figure 3 are preferably reversed.

In Figure 1, a support 35 is shown carrying an expiring roll 36, a replacement roll 31 and a spare roll 38. The support has been rotated to bring the replacement roll 31 and the running Iweb W into the relative positions shown, and a belt 39 is in running contact with the replacement roll. The belt is led around pulleys 4|, 42 and 43, one of which is preferably driven by con- ;nection to the press, so that the belt runs at a speed substantially the same as that of the running web. Hence, it will be understood that the replacement roll 31 is thus brought up to web speed, and it will be further understood that when a brush 44, carried on a pivotally supported frame 45 is swung towards the replacement roll it will press the running web thereagainst, and when the areas to which. adhesive A has been applied come in contact with the running web, they will adhere to it and the web end of the replacement roll will be torn loose from the stickers and be carried forward into the machine, after which the web running from the expiring roll may be severed by the knife 46 and the machine is then supplied with a web drawn from the replacement roll 31 which thereupon becomes the running roll.

After the splice is made, it follows the path of the web around pulleys 41 and 48 and into the printing machine, where it is printed first by the printing cylinder 49, then passes over pulley 5! and to the ink drying mechanism 52 where it is subjected to a high temperature. From this point, the web passes around pulleys 53 to the printing cylinder 49' where it is'printed on the opposite side, after which it passes around pulleys 54 through the ink dryer 52', and from thence it is guided by pulleys 55 and roller 56 to the folder 5'! where it is folded, cut and delivered.

It will be understood that when the spliced portion of the web reaches the heater 52, the adhesive A is practically destroyed, but the adhesive B simultaneously becomes tacky and is cured so that it makes the splice a permanent joint, and the web from the replacement roll is thus led through the machine without danger of the splice being pulled apart.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the use of two adhesives having the characteristics stated, yields in combination, results not possible with any single adhesive. The resin adhesive A possesses a high degree of tackiness when applied tothe web, maintains this tackiness at normal room temperatures over a period of several hours, and makes a secure splice instantly when the webs are pressed together. The latex adhesive B is less tacky when applied to the web and its moisture is evaporated or absorbed by the paper soon after it is applied. However, when it is subjected to the relatively high temperatures of modern ink drying equipment it instantly becomes tacky and makes a firm splice which remains permanent when the paper cools. The utilization therefore of two suitable dissimilar adhesives in combination, each performing a function to which it is particularly suited, results in a method of splicing webs wherein the preparation, including the application of the adhesive, may be effected a considerable time before the splice is to be made, and the web may subsequently be subjected to the relatively high heat of ink drying equipment without weakening the splice.

Although, the use of the invention is herein shown only in connection with the splicing of webs fed to a machine of the type employed for printing on webs of paper, it can obviously be applied to splicing other materials and uses where it is required to quickly and securely join two pieces of material at normal temperature that will thereafter be subjected to a relatively high temperature, and it is therefore desired that the embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed,

, be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

, What I claim is:

1. The method of joining a web being drawn from an expiring roll to the outer web end of a replacement web roll which consists in securing the said web end to the body portion of the roll, placing patches of a first adhesive tacky at normal temperature on selected areas of the web end, placing on other selected areas of the said web end, patches of a second adhesive first made tacky and then cured and set by heat, pressing the traveling web against the said web end of the replacement roll to mak the web join only by means of the first adhesive, and then subjecting the web splice to the action of heat, whereby the first mentioned adhesive is rendered ineffective while the second mentioned adhesive is rendered tack and eifective to permanently.

maintain the web splice intact.

'an expiring web roll to the outer web end of a replacement roll, which consists in applying adhesive that is tacky at normal temperature .to separate areas of the said web end, applying adjacent the first mentioned areas, to alternate separate areas an adhesive first made tack and then cured by heat, rotating said replacement web roll at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the speed of the running web, applying pressure to effect a splice of the running web to the web end of the replacement roll only by means of the first adhesive, severing the said running web, and then passing the web splic through heating means to render the second named adhesive effective.

3. The method of joining the web of a new roll to the web of an expiring roll, which consists in applying patches of a resin base slowdrying adhesive in segre ated areas on one of the webs, then applying patches of a latex base rapidly drying adhesive on areas adjacent to the first mentioned areas, then pressing the webs together to temporarily connect them by means of the resin base adhesive, and; then subjecting the joined webs to a temperature suiiicient to soften and cure the latex base adhesive to permanently connect them.

4. The method of joining the web 01' a web roll which has nearly expired to the outer web end of a replacement-web roll which is-being fed to a machine wherein the web is subjected to relatively high temperature, which consists in lightly securing the web end to the body portion of the roll, placing patches of an adhesive having aresinbas onselectedareasofthewebend.

nently join the webs.

placing patches of an adhesive having a latex base on other selected areas-of the said web end, and

pressing the web against the said web end of the replacement roll, so the web of the expiring roll will be initially joined to the said web end by the resin bas adhesive, and then feeding thespliced area of the webs to a portion of the machine where it is subjected to high temperature, whereby the latex base adhesive will become tacky and then cured, effecting a permanent splice before the resin base adhesive becomes weakened by the high temperature. 1

5. The method of joining the web of a new roll to the web running from another roll which consists of applying upon an area of one of the webs a resin base substantially non-drying adhesive, applying upon another area of the same web a latex base rapidly drying adhesive, pressing the webs together to connect them by means of the resin base adhesive while the latex base adhesive is substantially ineffective, and then subjecting the joined portion to heat to soften the latex base adhesive to make it tacky and then to cure it to permanently connect the webs before the heat renders the resin base adhesive inef fective.

6. The method of eifecting a permanent web join between a new web and a running web, which consists in introducing between the webs and in one area, a first non-drying adhesive, and in another area, a second adhesive of the type requiring heat to make it tacky and then tocure and harden it, pressing the webs together to join them by means of the first adhesive and causing the webs to overlie the area of the second adhesive, and then applying heat to the web splice to make the second adhesive effective to permawnmm c. wmxmc. 

